WigstonAcademy

Year 7 ParentBooklet

2020-2021

Parents

Guide toWigston Academy

An introduction toWigston Academy

Welcome to Wigston Academy which is proud to be part of Wigston Academies Trust. The Academy serves an 11-16 age group in Years 7 to 11 before they go to our Trust neighbour, Wigston College, for Sixth Form and the next phase of their education. In our schools, we aim to create a safe nurturing environment in which we know our students and they know us.

The Academy is a place where differences are celebrated and we recognise that learning is different for everyone. We have an inclusive approach to our lessons which helps make sure that no one is left behind and that each one of our students gets the help they need to move on and make progress.

VISION STATEMENT

Wigston Academy and Wigston College will provide, in partnership, a welcoming learning campus of excellence across the 11-19 age range at the heart of the local community.

Our core purpose is to secure the highest standards and outcomes, raise aspirations and achievements by securing continuous, first class education and provision for all.

Our schools will provide high quality teaching and learning with a rich curriculum and wide extra-curricular opportunities. We will have high expectations of our learners who will be challenged, supported and celebrated to achieve their full potential and maximise life chances for the future.

Our schools will provide a safe, nurturing, inclusive environment with high quality care in which to enjoy learning. All our children and young people will be encouraged to be responsible, resilient and confident individuals who work hard to achieve their best. They will be well prepared for the next phase of higher education, training or career, equipped with the personal, academic and work related skills to flourish in a 21st Century global society.

Within our community all can Learn, Aspire and Achieve

TIMES OF THE DAY

Parents / Carers are welcome to contact the school at any time. In the first instance you should speak to your child's tutor if you have any questions or concerns. Please be considerate of the fact that, in most cases, tutors are also members of teaching staff and will be in lessons for most of the school day as well as having break, lunchtime or be responsible for duty after school. Therefore we kindly ask that you give at least 24 hours for staff to return your call. If the matter requires an urgent response please inform our office staff who will be happy to ensure that your enquiry is dealt with as quickly as possible.

Please NoteWigston Academy is committed to providing a working and learning environment that is

free from abuse.Please respect all of our staff members.

Verbal abuse of staff by parents or visitors will not be tolerated and action will be taken if this occurs.

For the protection of our staff, phone calls may be recorded.

Monday – Friday Registration 8.25—8.50

Period 1 8.50—9.50Period 2 9.50—10.50

Break 10.50—11.15Period 3 11.15—12.15Period 4 12.15—13.15Lunch 13.15—14.00

Period 5 14.00—15.00

WIGSTON ACADEMY SCHOOL TERMS, HOLIDAYS AND CALENDAR

2020/2021

AUTUMN TERM 2020

School Opens Wednesday 26th August 2020 (subject to change)

August Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2020

School Closes Friday 16th October 2020

Mid Term Break Monday 19th – Friday 23rd October 2020

School Opens Monday 26th October 2020

School Closes Friday 18th December 2020

SPRING TERM 2021

School Opens Tuesday 5th January 2021

School Closes Friday 12th February 2021

Mid Term Break Monday 15th – Friday 19th February 2021

School Opens Monday 22nd February 2021

School Closes Friday 26th March 2021

SUMMER TERM 2021

School Opens Monday 12th April 2021

May Day Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May 2021

School Closes Friday 28th May 2021

Mid Term Break Monday 31st May – Friday 4th June 2021

School Opens Monday 7th June 2021

School Closes Friday 9th July 2021

UNIFORMThe uniform is part of our school ethos. In coming to Wigston Academy, parents and carers agree to support our policy. In line with our code of conduct, it is expected that students will dress smartly and take pride in their appearance and we would ask you to support the school in ensuring that your child is correctly dressed in uniform. Uniform must be worn at all times, including the journey to and from school. There may be special fund-raising non-uniform days, but these will be made clear in advance. Students on day trips and visits will be expected to wear uniform unless they are told otherwise. Our uniform is practical, looks smart and is designed with health and safety in mind.Boys GirlsBlack traditional blazer with school badgePlain black trousersPlain white shirt with collarWigston Academy clip-on tiePlain black V-neck sweaterPlain black footwearPlain white, grey or black socks

Black traditional blazer with school badgePlain black trousers or plain black knee-length skirtPlain white blouse with collarWigston Academy clip-on tiePlain black V-neck sweaterPlain black footwearPlain white, grey or black socks or plain natural skin tone/black tights

TROUSERSTrousers are to be tailored and of a traditional style, made of standard school trouser fabric. The following are not allowed; jeans, denim trousers, trousers with rivets, trousers with low waist, trousers which are tight on the legs, leggings, trousers which are not full length, trousers which follow a current trend, cords, culottes, ski pants, trousers with large buckles, frills or fashion accessories.

SKIRTSSkirts are to be knee-length, of a traditional style and made of standard school skirt fabric. The following are not allowed; lycra skirts, netted skirts, denim skirts, tight skirts, skirts with any patterns, skirts with rivets or frills or skirts which follow a current trend.

SHIRTS/BLOUSESShirts and blouses are to be plain white with no logos, frills or decoration. Polo shirts are not allowed. Shirts and blouses are to be worn tucked in with no visible T-shirts underneath and sleeves rolled down. Blouses must be of a suitable style to be worn with the school tie.

JUMPERSThese should be wool, cotton or blend. The following are not allowed: sweat shirts or items made from sweat shirt material, cardigans, items with zips or logos and vest tops.

COATSAn additional coat will be needed according to the weather. Coats must not be worn in school during lessons or change overs. Hooded tops may be worn as a coat over the top of blazers but not underneath.

FOOTWEAR (NO BOOTS)These must be plain black, low-heeled footwear which cover the instep of the foot and suitable for school. This does not include any of the following: pumps, plimsolls, ballet-style shoes, shoes with high heels (more than 4cm), shoes with any marking or logo, sling-back or backless shoes, open-toe sandals or strappy sandals. Laces are to be black.

BLAZERSBlazers are to be worn at all times around the Academy. They are not to be substituted by a jumper. Coats or jackets should not be worn under blazers.

JEWELLERYThe only jewellery that is allowed is a single pair of small stud earrings. Students are not allowed to wear any type of jewellery whilst on school premises. A single pair of small stud earrings (or just one) and one nose stud is allowed. Other piercings are not acceptable and any piercings must be removed for PE or other activities as directed. Although wrist watches are allowed in most lessons, these have to remain the responsibility of the students. Smart watches are not permitted.

MAKE UPIt should be discreet and natural. False nails are not allowed under any circumstances.

HAIR COLOUR AND STYLESHairstyles should be reasonable and appropriate for being in a learning environment at school. Colouring is only allowed if it is of a single normal hair colour, although natural-colour highlights are acceptable. (No bright colours). Patterns, Mohicans, logos, coloured braiding, shaved patterns and tramlines are not permitted.BOYS GIRLS

1 pair of black shorts1 black polo shirt2 pairs of sports ankle socks1 pair of black football socks1 pair of trainers1 pair of black tracksuit bottoms1 black sweatshirtShin pads (compulsory)Gum shield (recommended for football, rugby and hockey)1 black football shirt1 pair of football boots preferably with rubber studs

1 pair of black shorts1 black polo shirt2 pairs of sports ankle socks1 pair of black football socks1 pair of trainers1 pair of black tracksuit bottoms1 black sweatshirtShin pads (compulsory)Gum shield (recommended for football, rugby and hockey)

WIGSTON ACADEMY PE KIT

Any item of clothing or accessory which may cause health and safety problems will not be permitted.PUT YOUR NAME IN ALL CLOTHES INCLUDING YOUR TIE, BLAZER AND PE KIT.

ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY

At Wigston Academy we expect you to have outstanding levels of attendance and punctuality. Our target for you is for your attendance to be between 96% and

100%.

When the bell rings at the end of each lesson you have three minutes to get to your next lesson – if the late bell rings before you get to your classroom then

your teacher will mark you as late.

The government tells schools to monitor any student with an attendance below 95%. If your attendance falls below 90% then you become a persistent absentee.

Your parents will be called in for a meeting and your attendance will be monitored more closely by the school.

Most students have an attendance between 96% and 100% - keep yourself in this range and you will get rewards!

ATTENDANCE = ACHIEVEMENT% Attendance Missed Lessons Missed Days

100% 0 lessons 0 days

95% 45 lessons 1 week and 4 days

90% 95 lessons 3 weeks and 4 days

85% 140 lessons 5 weeks and 3 days

80% 190 lessons 7 weeks and 3 days

75% 230 lessons 9 weeks and 1 day

Research suggests that 17 missed school days per year equates to a drop of 1 GCSE grade.

There are 365 days in a year – 175 of those are not spent at school. Students with attendance of 95%+ are much more likely to achieve

success at GCSE and beyond. There are lots of rewards and incentives for achieving 100%

attendance and you can earn these just for coming to school every day.

If your attendance drops below 95% then your Head of Year will start to put strategies in place to get it back up.

If you need help with your attendance talk to your Head of Year.

Instructions:• If you have not been set a

homework task for a subject then aim to study at least one section of a Knowledge Organiser(KO) for homework with advised time of 15 minutes each.

• Do now tasks and activities in lessons will be set to recall and apply the information you have studied. The more frequently you revisit and test the knowledge, the more likely it is that it will transfer to long-term memory and be more easily recalled in topic tests and exams.

• Use the back of your exercise book for subjects to show the work you have done and involve your parents or carers by getting them to test you on what you have done. Do NOT just copy out the KO into your book, try creating mind maps or test yourself on the content.

• Additionally aim to read a book for 30 minutes a day, reading has been proven to improve our vocabulary and understanding. This can be aloud to a friend or family or to yourself.

• Your teachers will let you know when you need your KOs with you, they will mostly be used for homework tasks.

How to use a Knowledge Organiser Year 7 and 8

In class KOs can be used in the following ways:• Quiz your neighbour – your teacher will tell you a section to focus on.

Test each other by making up questions.• Low Stakes Quiz – your teacher may prepare a quick quiz for you as a

Do Now Task.• Key Words – you could tick off key words as you come across them

and write definitions in the back of your exercise book for that lesson.• Key words in context – you may be asked to practice writing

sentences using key words for the topic you are covering.• Spelling test – your teacher may give you a spelling test to ensure you

know the correct spelling of key words.• References – if you are stuck on an activity in lesson – check your KO

to see if it can help you.• Extended writing – incorporate the information you have learned

into longer pieces of writing to demonstrate more specialist in depth knowledge.

• Knowledge test – at the end of a topic or unit, your teachers will test you to see how well you have learned the information, this helps to make sure you have understood the topic and you are able to apply the information correctly.

At home you can:15 minutes per school night, per subject – choose a subject, making sure you have covered all of your subjects each week (you could do 2 subjects per night = 30 minutes)Quiz yourself – read through the information, repeating it back to yourself. Cover the information and have a go at writing it as it or creating a mind map. Check it against the KO – how accurate were you? Which aspects do you need to go over again?Create flashcards – once you have completed a section, test yourself by turning the information into revision flashcards.Application – once you have learned the information on the KO, complete tasks set by teachers as homework or try answering exam questions linked to the content you have learned. Your knowledge can be applied to other tasks/classwork/homework and develop longer writing tasks by adding more specialist knowledge to the answers.Revise – towards the end of topics / half terms / terms, mix up your flash cards. Teachers will be testing you regularly on the content of KO on both current and previous topics – keep a separate pile of ones you get wrong when testing yourself or getting parents and carers to test you. Then focus on those more before the test.

PRESENTATION AND HOMEWORKThe rules below are a basic minimum standard. Please follow these rules at all times unless your teacher or other adult asks you not to:

All work should have a title and a date written in this format – 1st September 2020. The title should be underlined with a ruler

You should normally write in blue or black pen Graphs and tables must be drawn using a ruler or other equipment; in pencil and

be properly labelled Highlighters can be used as directed by your teacher Crossings out should be neat and NOT messily scribbled out Work MUST be free from all graffiti You should write your name clearly on any loose sheets Handwriting should be as neat and clear as you can reasonably make it so that it

is easily understood. Most GCSEs now award marks for spelling.

If your work is not presented well enough, your teacher may ask you to do it again.

PASTORAL CARE

Pastoral care is part of every student’s entitlement in their school life. It can be defined as the promotion of students’ personal and social development and the fostering of positive attitudes to school, learning, other members of the community and oneself. Pastoral care is central to academic achievement. A child who is emotionally and physically healthy is better able to reach their full potential. The school is a community in which each person is valued as an individual.

The tutor has prime duty of care for the members of their tutor group, being the first port of call for concerns relating to your child. If you have specific questions relating to a certain department then the tutor will be able to direct you.

The school looks to educate our young people to make positive and healthy choices at all times and has a structured assembly based around pastoral themes to achieve this.

Mobile phones are an integral part of the modern world and we know that the majority of students will own a mobile phone. They are brilliant for parents/carers outside of school so that you can keep in touch with your children at all times. At Wigston Academy students must turn their mobile phones off once they arrive on school premises and ensure they are placed in their lockers or bags until the end of the day. There will be zero tolerance and phones will be confiscated and must be collected by a parent/carer at the end of the day. If a student has forgotten their locker key they can hand their phone into the main reception for safekeeping.

SOCIAL MEDIAThe majority of our students will equally have social media accounts (despite most having a minimum age of 13) so we must also advise acceptable use of all social media platforms. The school will offer lots of advice on E-Safety and we would ask parents/carers to check your child’s internet use regularly to ensure that they are not putting themselves at risk. Cyberbullying has become an issue nationally since so many Social Media platforms have become available and the school will not tolerate any unpleasant behaviour of any kind towards our students. Whether in school or not, the school can and will impart sanctions if a member of our community is found to be cyberbullying. Please contact a member of staff if you have any concerns.

SANCTIONSAs a parent / carer of Wigston Academy students we appreciate your full support in maintaining exceptional standards of behaviour by ensuring your child understands and adheres to all of our school rules and policies. Any sanctions that occur from poor behaviour, lacking equipment, incorrect uniform etc. are the sole responsibility of the students. There is no option to opt out of after school detentions, whether they be the same or next day, if this sanction is used. In choosing a school that uses this form of sanction you are agreeing to support to its use when deemed necessary.

THINGS TO KNOW

Tutor Time and Assemblies: We have tutor time every day and it is really important that your

child makes it on time for this every day. There will be designated activities for each morning which will include activities such ERIC (Everyone Reading In Class), knowledge and engagement and signing of planners and passports. Assemblies take place on other designated days. Each Year Group will have at least one assembly each week.

Year 7 Planner: All students will be issued with a planner, this will contain a calendar for the academic year for them to make notes of homework or any other notices they may receive from teachers/tutors. It will also have their timetable in, it must be used appropriately and every weekend as parent/carer you will be required to sign the planner to confirm you have seen it and it will then be checked and signed by their tutor weekly.

Equipment for lessons: All students should be equipped to work every day with a reading book, pencil case containing black and blue pen, pencils, a pencil sharpener, an eraser and a ruler. A calculator may also be required for certain lessons. If a student does not have these basic items then they may receive a behaviour point.

Arrangements for pick up after school / during the day: We receive a lot of messages regarding changes to pick up routines which can be a timely task. Could we ask that where possible, arrangements are made before the school day with your child.

Trips: All are available to be booked through our online booking system. Places are usually allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Some trips can become oversubscribed and places maybe decided by behaviour and attendance figures.

Lost property: Items should be kept in lockers at all times. Any items found round the school will be handed into the student reception. We would advise placing name tags in all items.

Sets: Your child will eventually be placed in a teaching set for the core subjects. The reason for their setting would usually be based on their KS2 data but this year they will be based on baseline tests that they will complete during their first term.

School Bus/transport: Further details about school bus provision will be released following government guidance however advice is to not use public transport initially.

WIGSTON ACADEMY’S BEHAVIOUR POLICY

We expect that exemplary behaviour will be the normal standard and that all students will show ‘resilience, ambition, responsibility, engagement and respect’ to each other and staff at all times. We are uncompromising in the expectation that all students will adhere to these standards. We expect all students, whatever their background or personal circumstances, to be impeccably well mannered and behaved.

Behaviour points are not the end of the world. They are often given to tweak (improve) your behaviour so that it is the best it can be. They do not necessarily carry immediate sanctions on their own and are more to teach and remind you so that you achieve your potential (basically don’t stress too much about individual points).

Sanctions are only given for more serious behaviours, repeated subject behaviours or where you accumulate enough behaviour points within the week to cross the thresholds.

Accumulation of achievement points leads to success at the end of each term with certificates and letters home, plus we have weekly reward of ‘Treat Friday’ for the best achieving and attending year group who go early for lunch.

Form tutors will discuss your points with you on a weekly basis, both giving praise and direction where necessary.

THE HOME- SCHOOL AGREEMENT

Within your induction pack was a home school agreement for both parents and students to sign and confirm that you understand all that is expected from you during the school day.

Students – I will

arrive each day ready to do the best I can at all times attend school and lessons every day and on time, properly equipped

and in the correct uniform treat others in the way I would wish to be treated myself keep myself safe and help others keep themselves safe show respect for the school environment by playing my part in keeping

it safe, clean and tidy listen to and follow instructions from all staff straight a way do all my classwork and homework on time and to the very best of my

ability actively engage with my learning, respond to teachers’ feedback and

seek out opportunities to extend my learning behave in a way which shows I am proud to be a member of the

Wigston Academy community, both inside and outside school, including social media

LANGUAGE TO RAG ENGAGEMENT FOR LEARNING

Our traffic light system is used in the classroom to monitor student’s engagement and learning.

BEHAVIOUR SYSTEM

IER – Internal Exclusion room FTE – Fixed Term Exclusion

Red – Preventing or disturbing the learning of others

Amber – Not respecting own learning

Green – Respecting each other learning

SAFEGUARDING AT WIGSTON ACADEMY

Wigston Academy is committed to working in partnership with parents/carers to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to support all families if they

are in need. We are committed to working with parents and carers positively, openly and honestly. We ensure that all parents and carers are treated with

respect, dignity and courtesy. Similarly, staff will not tolerate any abusive, violent or aggressive behaviour towards them. We respect parents and carers’ rights to

privacy and confidentiality and will not share sensitive information unless we have permission or it is necessary to do so in order to safeguard a child from

harm.

The Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) are:

Mr I Cox, Mrs A Pollon, Mr P Leatherland, Mr M Billingham, Miss N Davies,

Mr C Tongue, Mrs L Gathercole, Mrs L Moss, Mrs R Rose and Mrs Chapman.

Safeguarding policies

The School’s safeguarding policy; Health and Safety policy and e-Safety policy are all available on the school’s website (www.wigstonacademy.org) or from the main

office.

YEAR 7

Task Completed Tutor

Respect

Ambition

Resilience

Engagement

Responsibility

BRONZE PassportName

Form

‘The accomplishment of an aim or purpose’Success is what we want you to achieve during your time at Wigston Academy in Year 7. Success in the classroom, as part of wider school life and in your personal life. Some schools

aim for academic achievement alone, we recognise that this is not enough to equip you for success in life. When we came up with this programme there was no better name for it than success.

At Wigston Academy, as part of the Wigston Way, we have 5 ’Values for Success’:

Respect

Ambition

Resilience

Engagement

Responsibility

Throughout the programme you will develop these skills and work your way through the‘Steps to Success’:

Bronze

Silver

Gold

What is it?

WHAT do I do?In order to complete SUCCESS, you will need to complete a range of activities linked to our core Values—The Wigston Way. The activities will be varied and can be done in school, during extra-curricular activities or outside of school. By completing the activities, you will develop the skills, qualities and experiences that are essential for now and your future.

Upon completing each step of the SUCCESS programme, you will be awarded a certificate and a badge matching each step, which will recognise your achievements. Each step will also have a focus on ensuring you have good attendance, behaviour and a positive attitude to learning.

Your tutor will be your main point of contact for SUCCESS and they will monitor your progress.

Bronze rewards

EvidencingYou will need to choose one activity per value, have a go at it, give a brief description of what you did and then provide some evidence to show you have done it.

There are lots of ways for you to prove you have achieved an activity. For example:

Take a photo after the activity or get someone to

take a photo of you doing it.

An evidence sticker -if you complete an

activity with a teacher

A letter/ email to your tutor from the person

you completed the activity with.

You can also present other forms of evidence as appropriate to the task you choose but these will need to be verified by your tutor e.g. a certificate, achievement

postcard,100% attendance slip, award nomination slip, report, good piece of work etc.

You should try and take a copy of any item you want to use as evidence instead of using the original as you might not get it back!